


Real or Not

by Danilla



Category: Mr. Robot (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Season/Series Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21943414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danilla/pseuds/Danilla
Summary: He knew that perfect world and people in there weren't real, but he kept coming back.orOur Elliot meets dream!Tyrell for the first time.
Relationships: Elliot Alderson & Mr. Robot, Elliot Alderson/Tyrell Wellick
Comments: 18
Kudos: 75





	Real or Not

Of course he knew none of that happy and perfect world was real. He knew that; he created it, even if it wasn't exactly for him to stay there. Mr. Robot called it a prison, and maybe he was right, but he couldn't stop sneaking into there time and time again even if it was just to see lives going on; fake lives.

The others were firmly against it. They told him it did him no good, that he would end up believing in a bunch of bullshit Elliot's brain had created to space out, but he didn't care. He liked there and it wasn't like he wanted to participate on the fantasy anymore, he just wanted to watch.

Besides, nothing going on in there could harm the Elliot outside.

He was walking on the beach trying not to think of all the symbolism it held, but as it seemed, it was impossible. He thought of his monster picking him up earlier from school and taking him to the beach; he thought of the day he had finally given up his life and met Mohammed; he thought of the almost imaginary wedding he had; he thought of being buried by an imaginary Tyrell Wellick.

He tried to ignore all that and kept walking, just to see two kids building a castle on the sand. He took a deep breath and shook his head, they reminded him of Darlene and him building Kevin McCallister, so maybe the beach wasn't the best idea for a while.

"That's why you shouldn't come here, kiddo." Mr. Robot said as if he was there the entire time, and maybe he was.

"I like it in here." He answerd.

"You like the feeling of something real. You've let it go, remember? We all have. Why are you trying so hard to torture yourself?"

"I'm not doing that." He said, but even to his ears it didn't sound so sure.

He sees the other sigh, take off his sunglasses and stare at him directly. He looked as tired as he's always been, not a single change. 

"Just be careful, son." Mr. Robot said worriedly, putting a hand on his shoulder before walking away of his vision.

He kept walking. He wanted to go home.

It was always sunny around there, no matter when he decided to pay a visit. Part of that, he found out, was because time didn't really exist in there, with every single clock stuck in 11:16, so different types of weather shouldn't be a priority as well. 

These little details made everything worse: fake written all over it. That's probably why the others didn't spend time there like he did, it wasn't real enough even for them.

"Elliot?" He heard a familiar voice calling.

He hunched himself more inside the hoodie and paced faster; he didn't want to talk to any of the people in there, he still wanted to keep some of his sanity.

"Elliot, wait!" The voice cried getting closer.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, gently stopping him. He's felt it before, but it was a real hand when he was in the real world.

"Sorry, man, I don't know you." He said hurriedly, not looking in the other's eyes.

"Tyrell Wellick. We've met at Allsafe." Tyrell's voice small, like he wasn't sure if he should have reached anymore.

He looked to Tyrell for the first time, really looked at him. He was different from the real Tyrell, but that difference limited to his appearance because he felt exactly like the other one, at least when he wasn't pretending. His visual reminded him of himself, black hoodie, like he didn't care. He wasn't a failure, then.

He pushed away this thought: Tyrell wasn't a failure, he was far from that. He just happened to like him too much to end up dying. 

"Is something wrong?" Tyrell spoke again after his long pause staring at him. 

"No, I... I gotta go." He said, shaking the hand off from his shoulder and starting to walk again.

"You're not Elliot, are you?"

That was enough to make him stop again. Was it obvious? Did everyone always noticed the difference? Wasn't he real enough for this happy and perfect world?

"I mean, I've been watching you," Tyrell kept talking. "And, of course you're Elliot, but you're somehow... different."

He hugged his sides, it was too much. The others were right, this place was emotionally dangerous.

"Elliot," Tyrell called, getting closer again. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Shut up! You're not even real." He said back, trembling.

"I know." Hesitating voice answered.

There was silence.

"We're close to my apartment, let's go." He murmured and kept walking with an obedient and silent Tyrell behind.

They arrived somewhat way more quickly than they should be able to, but he was done questioning this world's laws. 

Tyrell kept himself as small as possible when they arrived, standing awkwardly after following him to the small bedroom.

He motioned with his hand and Tyrell sat on the bed while he just stood by the computer table with arms crossed.

"How would you know any of that?" He tentatively asked.

"I payed attention. You act different than him, you even look different and,"

"About the part that none of this is real." He clarified.

"The days... they kept repeating somehow and no one else seemed to notice it. And I know it will sound ridiculous, but Elliot was always the only thing that mattered, like the world existed just for him. And I knew for sure after a while I only existed when I was close to him." Tyrell took off his glasses and pressed his eyes with his hand.

Tyrell missed Elliot, that much was clear to him. Elliot made an impression with everyone, it seemed.

"But I could never approach him. My job was only to have professional meetings with him."

He knew none of that was real. He knew the Tyrell in front of him wasn't real. That didn't stop him from uncrossing his arms, sitting on Tyrell's side and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay."

Tyrell held the hand on his shoulder and looked at him.

"You're real too, aren't you?"

No.

"I can feel it." Tyrell held both of his hands into his.

He was only part of a real person.

"You are special, too, Elliot."

"I'm not Elliot." He said, feeling his eyes fill with tears.

"But that's your name, isn't it?" Was it?

Maybe it was once, but now everyone avoided calling him that. They told him he was the Mastermind, but they avoided it, too. He was "kiddo" and "son" to Mr. Robot; the prosecutor and the young one didn't talk to him much, but he heard them call him "the other one" more than once.

"I don't know." He said with trembling voice.

He felt Tyrell squeezing his hands in a reassuring way.

"Real or not, I'm here, Elliot."

Tears falling down.

There was something about Tyrell he could never figure out completely. The tender looks, small touches and beautiful words. The man was so eager to do anything for him that he even sacrificed himself. Died alone in the woods thinking he wasn't important for him, because he let him.

He hated that thought, but he hated most of his thoughts and lately that was basically the only thing he could do: rethink the last and only year of his life.

"You talk exactly like the other Tyrell." Small voice trying not to break.

"Oh, Elliot..." Tyrell said, sitting closer and using one of his hands to wipe the tears of his face. "Were you close?"

"No." He said simply, but felt the need to say more when he saw the hurt look on the other's face. "But he liked me."

"You don't like him?" Hurt look still on.

There it was, the loop. He had to think about all that the night Tyrell was shot, and he took the easy way out: he screamed in the most clear way he could that Tyrell didn't matter; that he never cared about him. But no matter how loud he screamed or how many times he would dismiss the man, it didn't make it true.

"Things happened too fast before I could figure it out. I guess I'll never know."

"You can't go there anymore?" This time, he was the one squeezing Tyrell's hands.

"It's not my place."

They were silent.

"Elliot," Tyrell called "would it be too much if I kissed you?"

Yes.

He was losing it again. He would be lying if he said he never thought about kissing Tyrell before, but that wasn't their story. He lost his chance. And that wasn't real, Tyrell was a projection of Elliot's mind.

But wasn't he, too?

He felt more tears coming as he closed their space and made their lips touch lightly.

Tyrell pressed back, but it didn't go any further than that, Tyrell didn't try to force it. 

He broke the barely kiss and hugged Tyrell, trying desperately to absorb the scent he knew by core. Strong arms held him back.

"He loved me." He said against his chest, resuming his tears and shaking badly.

He didn't feel himself drifting to unconsciousness, but when he woke up, he wasn't in his imaginary home anymore, instead, he was in the theatre, with the young one sleeping against his right arm.

"He's not real and you know that." Mr. Robot said quietly, sitting by his left side.

He shifted uncomfortably, he didn't want to talk about it.

"I know everything there is perfect, you created it that way, but it isn't good for you."

"I think I loved him." He said in a broken voice and Mr. Robot held his hand.

"I know, kid, I did too."

**Author's Note:**

> anyways, tyrell is alive and with his son in sweden, folks.


End file.
